
Ron del Barrilito Five Star Rum
Ron del Barrilito · Hacienda Santa Ana
Ron del Barrilito Five Star is one of Puerto Rico's best-kept secrets — a rum aged for over a decade in hand-selected sherry casks, produced in small quantities by a family that has been making rum since 1880. It stands shoulder to shoulder with far more expensive aged spirits from any category.
Nose
Dark toffee and dried fruit open into gentle oak and a distinctive sherry influence. There is a secondary note of roasted coffee bean and a hint of orange zest that adds brightness.
Palate
Velvety entry with molasses and caramel, followed by dried apricot and dark chocolate. The sherry cask influence is unmistakable — nutty and slightly tannic, with vanilla weaving throughout. A subtle tobacco note emerges on the back palate.
Finish
Long and warming, with toffee, sherry, and a final note of toasted oak. Remarkably smooth for its age, with no rough edges.
- Base Ingredient
- Sugarcane molasses
- Distillation
- Column and Pot Still Distilled
- Country
- Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Food Pairing
Dark chocolate truffles with sea salt and a dusting of espresso powder, served alongside aged Manchego cheese.
The Fernández family has produced Ron del Barrilito at Hacienda Santa Ana in Bayamón, Puerto Rico since 1880, aging their rum in sherry and cognac casks in the same stone-walled warehouse their ancestors built over a century ago.
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